AUSTRALIAN PRAYER NETWORK NEWSLETTER April 6, 2009 * SOLOMON ISLANDS SEEKS TO RESOLVE PAST TENSIONS THROUGH TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION * G20 COMES TO GRIP WITH GLOBAL RECESSION * GUNMAN SHOOTS PASTOR DURING CHURCH SERVICE * ARCHBISHOP CONFRONTS BBC OVER ITS TREATMENT OF CHRISTIANITY * HINDU NATIONALISTS CONTINUE TO TARGET CHRISTIANS IN INDIA * INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND WARNS OF CIVIL UNREST * STOP PRESS - INDONESIAN LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY POLLS ON 9th APRIL ----------------------------------------------- SOLOMON ISLANDS SEEKS TO RESOLVE PAST TENSIONS THROUGH TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION The Solomon Islands Government is moving to set up a Truth & Reconciliation Commission in an endeavour to discover the truth about the ethnic tension experienced in 2006 in the Solomons - the underlying causes of the tension and who started it. It will collect and process the stories from both the victims and perpetrators of the violence. The Government has established a National Selection Committee (NSC) chaired by the Chief Justice Sir Albert Palmer to select five commissioners, three of whom will be Solomon Islanders and two non-Solomon Islanders to head up the Commission. Nominations for the three Solomon Island Commissioner positions close on the 8th April. The NSC then has two weeks within which to select three nationals and two non-nationals to be commissioners and forward their names to the Prime Minister for formal appointment. The two international commissioners will be selected from sixteen nominations received from other nations including Papua New Guinea, Fiji, and Peru. The Solomon Island Commissioners can be from any province, race or ethnic group but must have integrity, credibility and enjoy the trust of all Solomon Islanders. At the completion of the enquiry the Government wants the TRC to report with recommendations on how the Government could address the question of compensation, forgiveness by law, and the underlying causes. The Government will then decide on a strategy to address those issues so as to prevent any other ethnic tension happening in Solomon Islands again in the future. Media programs and workshops have been commenced in the main centres of Honiara, Auki, Gizo, and parts of Guadal canal to explain to people the selection process and key features of the TRC. The Government has been called upon to allow the Christian Church to be called upon to provide support such as spiritual guidance and prayer for the TRC process and The Australian Prayer Network has also been approached by Christians engaged in the process in the Solomons, to provide prayer support for the TRC process. If you feel led of the Lord to be part of that prayer support team could you please email your name and email address to Gordon Griffiths who will be heading that team on behalf of the Australian Prayer Network. He can be contacted at gpgriff[at]ihug.com.au Those who join the Solomon Island Prayer Support Team will be kept up to date with prayer points and needs as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission process moves forward. For those who wish to pray more generally the following needs have been identified as matters of importance in the process at this time. Please pray: * for the selection process of the commissioners, that those whom God wants appointed will be selected. Pray also for the right support staff to be selected for this difficult role. * for the protection of both Commissioners and their support staff. Many of the politicians and people who may have been behind the starting of the tension, together with the former militants involved in the violence, fear the TRC and what it will uncover so both commissioners and staff are at some measure of risk in the situation. * that the Government will invite the Churches into the process so that prayer may arise within the Solomons to undergird and support the work of the Commission. Source: Compiled by APN from information supplied by S.I. contact ----------------------------------------------- G20 COMES TO GRIP WITH GLOBAL RECESSION (Editors note: The results of the G20 Summit last week in Britain are a welcome first step to restoring moral balance back into the financial systems of the world. We have witnessed over recent years an unprecedented level of greed at a personal and corporate level which not only could not be sustained but has clearly brought the world to its knees (both financiallyand in prayer). Continued prayer is needed at this time to ensure that the progress apparently made at the G20 Summit will be converted into an ongoing move of restoration of biblical values into the financial and political decision making processes throughout the nations of the world. This will include proper treatment and provision for the poor and underprivileged of the world instead of the accumulation of wealth by a few in privileged positions of responsibility.) A joint communiqué after the G20 Summit in Britain has unveiled a unified, $US1 trillion injection for global economies, as well as dramatic new "name and shame" rules for tax havens and caps on bankers' pay packets. The communiqué announced a package of six key pledges designed to boost the world's economies and hasten the end of the financial crisis. A second summit is now likely to be held at the UN in New York later in the year to assess the impact of the reforms. In agreeing to the six pledges, the G20 nations made their messages "clear and certain" to markets and communities world wide. Commentators believe a new world order is emerging with the foundation of a new progressive era of international cooperation. New reforms of the global banking system, including institutions such as hedge funds, and other parts of the so-called "shadow banking system" are coming under global regulatory control for the first time. The key pledges are: - Immediate publication of a list of tax havens that don't comply with information requirements as well as unspecified sanctions. - The injection of an additional $US1 trillion into the global economy through measures including a $US500 billion increase in the funding available to the IMF, an increase in the availability of money for developing countries through the IMF's "special drawing rights" to $US250billion and a total of $US250 billion being set aside for trade assistance. - The establishment of international colleges of supervisors for national financial regulation. - Agreements to do whatever is necessary to promote growth, but with approaches individual to each country, ensuring the possibility of further fiscal injections if needed in future. - The revamp of the IMF and other institutions to ensure nations such as China are given greater influence. Senior positions on the World Bank and the IMF will open to candidates from the developing world. - A continuing commitment to continuing funds such as the millennium development goals. - An extra $US50 billion for the world's poorest countries. Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, said the new agreement "cracks down on the cowboys who have brought global markets undone". British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said "This is the day the world came together to fightback against the global recession, not with words but with a plan for global recovery and reform." French President Nicolas Sarkozy said "today, a page has been turned". German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, said: "This is a victory for global cooperation ... it is a victory for reason that the things that got us into this crisis are not allowed to be repeated." Source: Compiled by APN from media reports ----------------------------------------------- GUNMAN SHOOTS PASTOR DURING CHURCH SERVICE The pastor of an Illinois church was shot to death during a Sunday service in front of horrified parishioners who then tackled the gunman. Rev. Fred Winters, the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Maryville, was shot and killed during the 8.00am service, and the attacker and two parishioners suffered knife wounds in the attack, said Illinois state police spokesman Ralph Timmins. The gunman walked in during the service, walked up to the pulpit and opened fire Timmins said. The pastor was shot three times.Timmins said the gunman's .45-calibre pistol jammed after he shot Winters. The shooter then pulled out a knife and turned it on himself before being tackled by some of the roughly 150 worshippers attending the church. Two of those who went after the attacker suffered non-life-threatening injuries,while the suspect's injuries are "very serious," St. Louis University Hospital spokeswoman Laura Keller told CNN three males, including the suspect, were brought to the hospital. One was dead on arrival, she said, but the hospital was not releasing names and ages. Rev. Mark Jones, another pastor at First Baptist, said he briefly saw the gunman but did not recognize him by name or face. "We have no idea what this guy's motives were," Jones said outside the church. "We don't know if we'll ever know that." Police said at the time there were approximately 150 people in the church for the first of three Sunday services. Many coming for the second service arrived to find emergency vehicles directing them away from the church, which reportedly has 1,500 members. Some parked at a nearby senior centre where they were consoling one another. The Illinois shooting is believed to be the nation's first in a church since July, 2008 when a 58-year-old man opened fire in a Knoxville, Tennessee, church during a children's play. Two people were killed and six wounded in that shooting. The convicted felon in that case told police he targeted the church because of its "liberal teachings," according to court papers. He pleaded guilty recently in a deal that allowed him to avoid the death penalty and will face life in prison without parole, court officials said. Jeffrey Hawkins, executive director of the Christian Security Network said "This shooting is a tragic situation, but one that has been witnessed many times over the years. This violent incident against a Christian church is another reminder that these incidents are not going to stop and can occur anywhere, at any time. The only recourse that churches have to is to acknowledge that it can happen to them and to be prepared. "In the first two months of 2009 alone our Network has tracked 139 incidents in 31 states against Christian churches, schools and ministries," Hawkins said. Source: ASSIST News Service ----------------------------------------------- ARCHBISHOP CONFRONTS BBC OVER ITS TREATMENT OF CHRISTIANITY The Archbishop of Canterbury has accused the BBC of ignoring Christians. Dr Rowan Williams has complained to the Director General, Mark Thompson, that the corporation's religious programming is declining. At a meeting at Lambeth Palace Dr Williams warned Mr Thompson that concerns were mounting among senior Church of England members that the BBC is giving preferential treatment to minority faiths. He urged the BBC Director not to ignore its Christian audience. The Archbishop's concerns were raised after the head of religious programmes, Michael Wakelin, a Methodist preacher, left his position. The favourite to succeed him is Aaqil Ahmed, a Muslim who was commissioning editor for religion at Channel 4, along with the recent appointment of a Sikh to produce Songs of Praise, has raised fears within the Church that the Christian voice is being sidelined. Last year Mr Thompson caused controversy when he suggested that Islam should be treated more sensitively by the media than Christianity because Muslims are a minority religion. In a gathering of the Archbishops' Council, Dr Williams agreed with suggestions that the future of religious broadcasting is under threat. And according to the Churches' Media Council, Christians are now significantly under-represented at the Corporation. Baptist minister Revd Paul Hill said he been writing to the broadcaster for some time on this issue. "We are not, I believe, on a level playing field. We are having to campaign for our freedom of speech when others are given it as a right." He added: "I was very welcomed as a Christian in many mosques and we used to enjoy our times of debate. They want to continue that, I want to continue that and we don't want governments or anybody else trying to impede their freedom of speech or ours." The BBC said that changes made to the department were intended to strengthen the BBC's offering of programmes. Source: Premier Christian Media ----------------------------------------------- HINDU NATIONALISTS CONTINUE TO TARGET CHRISTIANS IN INDIA Hindus in north-east India, are humiliating Christians in the way many Islamic states subjugate Jews and Christians living under Islamic rule. Most Christians displaced by last year's violence are still too fearful to return to their homes, those who do are being forced to 'become Hindus' or pay a fee. Those who continue as Christians are forced to wear humiliating clothing; dismount from bicycles and salute 'Hindu' tribals whenever they come across them; not use public restroom facilities while Hindus are there; and not attend church under threat of loss of water, firewood and the like). Some observers fear another attack is being planned. Others believe that Christian leaders are being targeted for elimination. Please pray: * offering thanksgiving for the rapid growth of Christianity and for a huge, yet hidden, house church movement in India. * offer thanksgiving for the courage and witness of the many persecuted Indian believers, especially for those in Orissa. * that God will remove the cloak of propaganda so that India will turn from Hindu nationalism. Source: Intercessors for America ----------------------------------------------- INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND WARNS OF CIVIL UNREST The IMF has warned the world was gripped by a "Great Recession" that could throw millions back into poverty and spark civil unrest. "The global financial crisis, that might now be called the 'great recession', provides a sobering backdrop to our conference," IMF managing director Dominique Strauss-Kahn told delegates at an anti-crisis meeting in Tanzania. "The IMF expects global growth to slow below zero this year, the worst performance in most of our lifetimes," he said, urging wealthy Western countries to maintain financial support for low-income nations. The IMF director also said there was now "a real risk that millions will be thrown back into poverty" across the African continent and that the economic crisis raised "the threat of civil unrest, perhaps even a war". The worldwide recession also raised fears in Europe of a sharp erosion in public health as financially strapped patients are forced to defer care. Source: Intercessors Network ----------------------------------------------- STOP PRESS - INDONESIAN LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY POLLS ON 9th APRIL Indonesians will go to the polls to elect a new parliament this Thursday 9th April. Indonesia has a multi-party democracy and coalitions are normally needed to have legislation passed. To get their legislation through the assembly, the large parties will pursue deals with the small parties, a situation the small parties can exploit as they ‘auction’ their votes to the highest bidder. Whilst this can be beneficial and have a broadening or moderating effect on legislation, it can also provide an opportunity for the small and unpopular pro-Sharia Islamic parties to advance their Islamic agenda. During 2008 the incumbent President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) passed a number of controversial laws sponsored by Islamic parties whose support he will need if he is to be re-elected as president in July. Islamisation freely advancing by such political means would be a serious threat to religious liberty in Indonesia. There is also concern that Indonesia could be shaken by post-election violence. Please cover the election process in prayer. Source: Intercessors Network
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